Itching...

No, not the skin-irritant-scratch-till-it-bleeds kind of itching...

... the gosh-it's-nice-weather-can't-wait-for-my-schedule-to-allow-some-biking kind.

I went out to get lunch today, and it was 60F and sunny, with just a bit of a wind. Wow, it was nice. And it's supposed to stay nice through the weekend. Very nice. Downright hot kind of nice.

Now, if I can just work out my schedule so that I can make it on a bike, all will be well. Unfortunately, tomorrow I have to make a "guest speaker" visit at the University, so I don't know if that will work. Friday is looking good, though.

It's a good thing that I'm feeling antsy. I really do need the exercise.

Movie Review: Appaloosa

Meh.

Granted, I watched this at 11:00 at night when I was tired and distracted. Still, this was a pretty lukewarm performance. I have to agree with one of the Rotten Tomatoes critics who said that it was like Ed Harris couldn't decide whether he was filming a Western or a Romance. He seems to try to meld both and simply falls short.

Now, don't get me wrong, it was an entertaining, engaging movie, and I don't regret putting it on my Netflix queue. But I just couldn't seem to get invested in the characters like I did with Tombstone or with 3:10 to Yuma.

The acting was well done, the scenery excellent, and the characters entertaining. But the storyline was very thin and seemed strung together, as though the writer made up a checklist of "Classic Western" set-pieces and then came up with a basic thread to hang them all on. There's the rich bad guy who wants to control the town, complete with a band of thugs who raise heck. There's the saloon/hotel, the train hijack, the old Marshall getting murdered, the tracking/hunting/chasing expedition through the brush, the Indian attack, the showdown between the Marshall and the bad guy's cronies at the porch of the jail, and of course the love triangle between the lead, the sidekick and the girl. And, at the risk of giving away the somewhat anticlimactic surprise ending, the classic shootout hastily tacked on, almost as an afterthought, at the end of the film.

I think, as good as the final twist was, that in a way it was the worst part. Not because it wasn't surprising or well played, but because it just sort of showed up apparently without warning. There wasn't really any build-up to it. Frankly, I was expecting at least another half hour of film when all of a sudden the movie was over!

As much as I might complain, it really wasn't all that bad a movie. Certainly fits the "Western" formula well. As I said, most elements of the film were excellent (acting, costume, scenery, effects, etc.). Wrapped around a decent, non-formulaic story, it would have been awesome. As it was, however, I'd say 3 stars is a stretch.

How not to change the oil in your car

During my self-imposed exile (due to combined chronic cases of busy-itis, lazy-itis and freezophobia) from cycling, I've put a lot more miles on the cars this winter. Accordingly, it was time to do another simple oil change on one of them (an older Saturn, if you're curious). Now, changing the oil, especially in a Saturn is a fairly simple process:

1. Unscrew the drain plug in the oil pan and drain the old oil into an approved container.
2. Remove the old oil filter
3. Screw on and tighten the new filter
4. Replace the drain plug(!)
5. Pour in 4 quarts of new oil.

It can normally be accomplished in 30-45 minutes in the driveway, including allowing 15-20 minutes of doing other stuff while the oil fully drains from the engine. Simple, effective, and usually cheaper than going to one of the instant-oil-chamge places.

Not this weekend.

Day 1:

First, I drove over to the auto parts store and spent nearly $40 on fresh oil, a new filter, and a new air filter to go along. Normally, Valvoline charges me about $45 to do the whole job for me in about 10 minutes. So I'm already nearly at break-even cost before I get home.

I pull in the driveway and shut down, pop the hood and open the oil fill cap on top of the engine. This helps prevent a vacuum lock and helps the oil drain quicker. At least I remembered that the drain plug takes a 14mm wrench, so I didn't have to try three different sizes. I slightly jack the car up (it's low-slung and I'm not skinny anymore), shove the drain bucket underneath and remove the plug. For the first time in years, I manage to do this without spilling hot oil all over my hand. So far, so good!

I give that about 15 minutes and then return to handle the filter. There are two ways to reach the filter on this particular car: from underneath, where there's not much room and it's hard to see, but no disassembly is required, or from inside the right front wheel well where visibility and access are very good, but the wheel and wheel well cover must be removed. I opt for the under-car method.

I slip the strap wrench over the filter and begin to turn it... but it won't budge. The handle turns to tighten the strap, but goes no further. Worse, I can't seem to remove the wrench without an unusual amount of wriggling. I reach up to feel it and realize that I have slightly crumpled the back end of the filter. Bad news. No way this thing should be so tight. Even worse, my wrench is now coming apart.

Cursing softly under my breath (the kids are in the yard...) I crawl back out from under the car, jack it up further, and remove the wheel and wheel well to inspect the situation. Sure enough, not only is my wrench bad, but the filter can is now crumpled enough that it wouldn't work anyway. Off to the auto-parts store for a new, different wrench. I'm now $55 and over an hour into a job that would have taken $45 and 10 minutes at Valvoline.

The new wrench doesn't work either, merely crushing the can further. Next step: drive a screwdriver through it (yes, this is actually fairly easy - the filter's shell is not much thicker than a soda can) and use that for leverage. No go. Turning the screwdriver merely tears a larger hole in the can. Further attempts with larger screwdrivers and other wrenches only worsen the situation. I now have the dirty oil that was trapped in the filter dripping all over my drive shaft, frame, and driveway, not to mention my hands and tools. At least it's cooled significantly.

After two hours and a number of other tools, I take a break and call the "master mechanic" - my father. He suggests removing the shell of the filter. Once that is done, the base of the filter, where it screws to the engine block is accessible. This base is a plate with a large, central hole which threads onto the pipe through which filtered oil flows from filter to engine, ringed by a set of smaller holes through which dirty oil enters the filter from the engine. Once this is accessible, one can insert a pair of pins into the inlet holes and wrench the base plate free.

Doing so, however, requires some tools I don't have, so I clean up and take the family to the mall for a stop at Sears. $50 later I've got a pair of side-cutters (useless for this particular task, but might have worked), a pair of "aviation snips" (tin snips), and a pair of mechanic's work gloves (to protect my already bleeding fingers from shrapnel). Tally so far: $105 and four hours, not counting trips to stores.

Day Two:

A bit of luck on this day. After handling other chores till nearly 4:00 and worrying about lack of daylight, I dive back into the task. As expected, the side cutters do not work on the filter shell - they're designed to cut copper wire, not tin sheet metal. The aviation snips, however, work fantastically, if one discounts the large size and close quarters. After another hour of struggle, I'v e completely dismantled the filter, except for the tightly-jammed base plate. I can now clearly see what is needed, but have no way to accomplish the task.

After a few failed attempts to build a homemade spanner wrench with two nails and the available lumber, it's off to the auto-parts store again. There, I spy the (nearly) perfect tool for this task: a cheap pair of long-handled 45 degree angled needle-nose pliers. These pliers have extra long handles and most importantly long, narrow, pointed jaws that are bent 45 degrees from the plane of the handles. This crucial feature will allow me to open the jaws wide, insert the tips into opposite holes in the plate, and get lots of leverage to turn the handles in the direction needed to un-jam the plate.

Returning home yet another $10 poorer, I set to the task. The pliers turn out to be ideal. While a 90-degree bend would have allowed me to apply somewhat better torque to the plate, it also would have required me to put my arm through the right wheel strut. The 45-degree bend gave me room to work.

Summoning all the limited upper body strength I had (remember, I'm a fat, out of shape cyclist...), I nserted the plier tips, squeezed the handles tightly to grip the plate, and began to turn. At first, no joy, but after repeated attempts, the plate began to turn ever so slowly. Finally, after an exhausting effort to get it loosened, the filter base spun freely from the spindle and into my waitinig hand. The wrench, of course, was ruined by the twisting presssure placed upon it. Good thing it was a cheap one.

I cleaned and inspected the mounting point for the filter on the engine block, and saw no issues. The new filter spun smoothly into place, and the rest of the oil change went as smoothly as ever. Fifteen minutes later, the car was running, the tools cleaned and put away, and the mess cleaned up.

Tally: $115, 6 hours over two days, four trips to auto-parts and/or tool stores, one Band-Aid, one tool ruined, and a half dozen other chores deferred to next weekend.

Did I mention that an "oil change" on a bicycle is far, far simpler?

Wii Fit - Initial impressions

Santa brought the kids (myself included!) a new Wii for Christmas, and - once the supply backlog was caught up - a Wii Fit balance board as well. We're having so much fun with it, I thought I'd break my long silence on this blog with a review.

Just a touch of update. I've been a bad boy so far this winter. I've fallen into my usual sedentary habits, sitting on the couch, doing chores, lamenting the "bad weather", and not exercising much at all. The commuter bike has been languishing in the garage, and the road bike isn't even set up on the trainer right now. Shameless, I know. I'm more tired, have gained a few pounds, and my sugar levels are out of whack, too.

So, enter the new Christmas toy. I'll try to keep this review short, and to the point re: fitness and such. This review will cover the Wii system and the balance board hardware. I'll devote a separate report to the Wii Fit game itself.

Wii itself

First, the Wii itself is a LOT of fun. It may not have the high end graphics of the other systems, and might be missing the latest shoot-em-up, but there is a lot of family fun to be had, and the motion sensitive controls are a hoot! Even with the bundled Wii Sports games, you can get a quick workout. It's easy to work up a sweat with Boxing or Tennis, and the Bowling and Golf are surprisingly realistic.

We've also tried We Ski (awesome!) and Shaun White Road Trip snowboarding (also rocks!). These I highly recommend for some relaxing fun. They will get your adrenaline pumping.

The downside: Despite the many titles that do encourage you to get up and move, there are quite a few things that will also encourage you to sit down and vegetate in the traditional video game style. TwinBoy is addicted to LEGO Star Wars (admittedly a very fun game). It does allow you to initiate attacks (specifically Jedi moves and lightsaber attacks) with hand motions, as well as a few other things, but mostly it exercises your thumbs. Don't worry, he gets plenty of exercise jumping up and down and yelling at the game. He can't sit still to save his life.

It would be nice to have a game that does lightsaber duels by tracking your actual "blade" motions, rather than simply triggering a predefined attack move. This may already exist and perhaps I just haven't seen it.

It should be noted that Wii games are generally by nature cartoonish. If you are looking for hyper-realistic visuals, look elsewhere. This is the land of Mario, Sonic, and Miis, so you have to expect that sort of style.

Wii Balance Board (Hardware)

The Wii Balance Board itself seems well constructed. Solid, heavy, able to take some abuse. I would have preferred it come with a rechargeable battery instead of alkalines, but the starter kit (extra $$) included one. The standing surface is smooth and sturdy, and a nice, clean white color - for now.

This is the first downside I see. I'm not sure how to keep this clean. I can see why inexpensive covers for the board are a popular item. It is also just a bit slick if wearing socks, but works fine in shoes or barefoot. Again, an aftermarket cover would help with this issue.

The board dimensions are reasonable. It's small enough not to be overly obtrusive, but large enough to do its job properly. I'm 6 feet tall, and it is wide enough for me to place my feet shoulder width apart - barely. I could see an aftermarket "outrigger" cover with a stiff board that is wider for some games, or for very large or broad-shouldered people. It seems strong enough to hold quite heavy folk.

I have only one other major complaint so far. Apparently, only one board can be used at a time with the Wii, and it takes the place of one of the remotes. This is apparently a limitation of the way the balance board is recognized by the Wii system.

It would be nice to be able to use multiple boards for group exercise or multi-player games. For example, Shaun White Road Trip allows up to 4 players (with remotes) to zoom down the hill in multi-player mode. If you use the balance board, only one can use a balance board, and since that person also needs a remote (for tricks), only three can play. It would be nice to be able to use two boards.

Other than that, it's an incredible system. I can see why it is so popular and hard to get. The complaints I have are very minor, and do not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment.

Death By a Thousand Cuts

In politics, the title phrase refers to the tactical method of accomplishing a goal by taking many tiny steps to reach the end, so that the "victims" don't notice what is happening.  For instance, if one wanted to quietly repeal the 2nd Amendment, one way to do it is to progressively add more and more "minor" restrictions on gun ownership until eventually the right is effectively removed.

I'm not here to talk politics, though.  Just to use the phrase.  I've spent the last couple months now "recovering" from a series of ills.  First, the prostate thing (better now, thank you), and then a lingering virus that seems to not quite want to go away.  Plus there have been a number of work issues that have kept me quite busy, and the weather has been worse than normal for November.

The net effect is that I have not been able to commute at all lately.  Nor have I been doing much exercising at all.

What does this have to do with "death by a thousand cuts?"  Well, I've been observing my own behavior during this time, compared to the months prior when I was commuting regularly.  It occurs to me that every day we make a series of decisions, the sum of which have a lasting effect on our well being.  "What should I have for lunch?"  "Walk or drive?"  "Take the stairs or the elevator?"  "Work out today or tomorrow?"  "How about that night snack?"

Individually, none of these decisions are significant.  One cookie, or one trip on the elevator is of no consequence in the grander scheme of things.  Taken collectively, they can be literally life or death decisions.  Over the course of a year, I'll decide what to eat well over a thousand times.  I'll climb stairs or ride the elevator hundreds of times.  These "little" decisions add up to a pattern of habits.  These habits define, to an extent, who I am and what I become.

Since habits are formed as the sum of individual decisions, every decision becomes a life-or-death decision.  Every decision can become a furtherance of the habits that have gotten you where you are, a way of preserving the status quo.

On the other hand, every decision becomes an opportunity to change the status quo.  Every meal can be the first step toward  a new habit.  Every trip through the office door is a chance to choose the stairs.  Every dawn is a new opportunity to become someone different.  We are creatures of habit, but we can change those habits.  The challenge is to recognize and seize the opportunity for that change.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  What will it look like?

Hope! Change! Chain lube!

No... still not talking politics on this blog.

Yesterday I (finally!) got back on the bike and commuted. New saddle, new shoes, and new shades. Lots of change. The new saddle was much more comfortable, and there was noticeably less pressure where there isn't supposed to be pressure. I still need to adjust the saddle tilt a bit. And, with more weight on the "sit bones" (where it's supposed to be), I'll need to get that area toughened up a bit as well.

The new shoes worked flawlessly, except that I had the left cleat installed a tad crooked. Fixed that on my lunch break, no problem. Walking is much, much easier in these shoes. I could wear them all day at work in a pinch, and they're reasonably fashionable in a "lightweight hiker" kind of way.

The weather was gorgeous. Mid-50's on the way in, mid-70's on the way home, sunny and a light breeze. A wonderful day to ride. In all, an outstanding November ride.

Looking forward, it's going to get challenging. Today is another gorgeous day, but schedule did not permit riding. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler and wetter (40's in the AM, topping out at 60, with chance of showers), and I'm sure next week will be cold, too. Still, it seems the hardest part of the whole ride is the part between the bed and the front door.

The other key thing is that while I was not riding, I managed to clean and lube my drive train. What a huge, HUGE difference that makes! Pedaling was nearly silent, shifting was quick and crisp, and there were no more problems getting into my #6 gear in the rear. It was like a bike upgrade for the cost of an old toothbrush and half an hour of my time. I'll write more on this in a separate post.

And so, there is Change - new stuff, new biomechanics, pressure relieved, wearable shoes, clean gears... and there is Hope - good weather and a promise of health improvement.

Just one word today...

VOTE!